Why start with strategy?

Are you looking for someone to just whip out a few new logos, a funky web layout, or a pretty brochure by tomorrow? I’m afraid we’re not the team for you. Why? Because we never jump right to a design solution. We insist on a process that includes more.

Our creative process always begins by identifying goals, gathering information, and assessing opportunities. We call it strategy, but basically it’s just common sense. You can’t hit a target if you don’t know what and where it is, and you won’t make the best choices if you don’t think about all the options before you act.

Here are a few common ways we arrive at the right strategy for every project.

Questions and Discussion

You know your products, services, and business better than anyone else. But sometimes the most beneficial outcomes happen when someone from the outside looks in, asks a few good questions, and challenges you to really explain who you are, what you do, and why it should matter to anyone else.

Research

This can be simple—like calling a few trusted clients for candid feedback—or more complex—like doing a comprehensive audit of your brand. Whatever the method, it’s important to step back, assess what needs to be accomplished, and then gather as much information about your problem, audience, and marketplace as you can.

Ideation Session

Often, the best ideas are not that hard to find, you just need to ask the right questions to the right people. Take time to bring your team together, pick their creative brains, and build consensus around your goals and the best means to achieve success. You might even be surprised by the added value you get out of the process of brainstorming, beyond just great ideas.

Communications Planning

Having a clear plan is the only way to efficiently get to where you want to go. But a communications plan doesn’t have to be complicated. Keep it simple by listing out your goals, defining your course of action, and identifying who will be doing what and when.

Need more tips on how to create a successful marketing strategy? Check out this post on where to start.